Mumbai, 22 June

"Operation Tiger is complete now," announced Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday, as all six rebel Lok Sabha members from the Shiv Sena (UBT) officially crossed over to the ruling Shiv Sena, formalising another split in the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction.

The rebels joined the Shiv Sena at an event in the presence of Shinde and other senior party leaders, five days after skipping a crucial parliamentary party meeting of the Shiv Sena (UBT) in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by only three Lok Sabha MPs of the Opposition party.

The Lok Sabha MPs of the Shiv Sena (UBT) who crossed over are: Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal), Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani), Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North East), Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar (Hingoli), Omprakash Rajenimbalkar (Dharashiv) and Bhausaheb Wakchaure (Shirdi).

"My operations are foolproof," said Shinde while referring to the six defected MPs as Dhurandhar (stalwarts/experts) who are connected to the ground.

"Operation Tiger" is now complete and successful," the Deputy CM declared while talking to reporters and added the Shiv Sena is now the second largest party in Maharashtra in terms of MPs.

Notably, Operation Tiger was the name given to the Shiv Sena's move to engineer defections in the Thackeray camp and wean over MPs to its side.

These rebel parliamentarians had won against the BJP and Shiv Sena candidates in the 2024 general elections. The Shiv Sena (UBT) had bagged nine Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in 2024. The entry of the dissident MPs in the Shiv Sena is expected to give a boost to the bargaining power of Shinde in the ruling coalition Mahayuti, which also consists of the BJP and the NCP.

Shinde said, "These Lok Sabha members have now joined the original Shiv Sena that follows the teachings of (party founder) late Balasaheb Thackeray. Four years back I took a strong step and now I have hit a sixer (a reference to the number of MPs who have switched loyalties)."

He also referred to his rebellion in June 2022 in the United Shiv Sena, which brought down the

Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government catapulted him to the post of chief minister.

"I did it earlier (split Shiv Sena) to save the principles of late Balasaheb Thackeray and to save the Shiv Sena. Now, this move (rebellion in the Lok Sabha wing of the Sena UBT) is the second stage of Shiv Sena expansion," Shinde asserted.

All of them will contest on the Shiv Sena symbol in the 2029 Lok Sabha polls from their respective constituencies and will get elected for sure, he said while responding to a question.

"Maharashtra is a progressive state. New people are joining our party because our agenda is of development and progress. You know that I am a man who keeps his word. People are trusting me and the Sena, which is a party of workers and common person," he insisted.

Without taking names of Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, Shinde advised them to introspect instead of resorting to abuses, an oblique reference to Thackeray aide and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, who launched an expletive-laden tirade against the rebels last week.

"It is time for introspection for those whose party these MPs have left. They start abusing in the morning, and change the tone in the evening and try to appease them. There seems to be some problem with them," Shinde said.

The Deputy Chief Minister noted the rebel MPs consulted their supporters before switching sides and assured his full support to them.

"All these MPs have spoken to their supporters and then decided to join the Shiv Sena. I am there to solve even your personal problems," Shinde maintained.

"Those who have been abusing us since 2022, let them do their work. They will increase their troubles," he said, taking potshots at his rivals in the Shiv Sena (UBT).

Shinde assured there will be no shortage of funds for the development of the Lok Sabha constituencies represented by the rebel MPs.